Our language of communication
One of the highlights of our week is the Unequity creative team meeting, where we talk about current projects, discuss innovative technologies, and learn from each other’s widely diverse experience.
After such a discussion, we asked our native English speaker copywriter, Lynn Nothegger, to reflect on the way in which communication is changing in an international multilingual business environment, and the impact of generative AI.
Here’s what she has to say about this topic:
Generative AI and our language of communication
As communications experts, language is a topic that often comes up in our team meetings – from reflections on changing language, to the debate in Germany about ‘gendern’, and using AI translation tools.
Recently, we discussed the impact of social media and generative AI in a world that is—linguistically at least—growing closer and becoming more homogenous. Social media is changing how we speak, as young people around the world adopt an international standardized English language with shared expressions, phrases, and memes.
Simultaneously, increased use of generative AI content is promoting more simplified language, which can lack emotional depth and complexity. My colleague Michaela Pods-Aue noted during our discussion that “Younger people tell me that they want technical information without linguistic flourishes, i.e., quick to read and easy to digest.” And yet, we know the value and importance of emotional, human communication in conveying information. For instance, we regularly use narrative storytelling in client projects.
Is it possible to combine easily digestible information with complex and nuanced language in a narrative that speaks to our emotions and promotes linguistic diversity? Let’s start by taking a close look at social media and how it is changing how we speak and communicate.
Vallah, ich habe kein ChatGPT genutzt!
(Or how language is changing rapidly in a globalized world)
Anyone who lives in Germany and has any contact with the younger generation will have heard the word “Vallah” in recent years. Originally from Arabic, it literally means “I swear by God,” but as this Syrian journalist who lives in Germany discovered, it is increasingly used by non-Arabic kids in Germany. Similarly, if you get on a tram or a bus in Germany, you’ll probably hear a kid saying, “Ja, safe!”. In German, the word “sicher” means “secure/safe,” but it can also be used to mean “of course”. For example, when you ask someone to go to the cinema, they might say, “Ja, sicher”. It’s not generally used in this way in English, but that hasn’t stopped teens from responding, “Ja, safe. Ich gehe mit!”.
Of course, we’ve always used loan words in our languages. In English, we might wish a friend “bon voyage!” as they leave their bungalows to go on a caravan holiday. Our kids go to kindergarten with their yoghurt for lunch in their rucksacks. Did you even know these weren’t regular English words?
What’s different now from the past integration of loan words is the speed at which it is happening. Users of platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube—and for GenZ, most importantly TikTok—encounter words and phrases from other languages, and adpot them into their daily communication. And it’s not just loan words in different languages. Even in English, we are seeing a rise in what some people term brain rot, a trend of using specific phrases popularized on the internet. While these terms might have originated in the US, they often spread to other native English-speaking countries.
Very mindful. Very demure.
Generic AI porridge
We’ve talked about AI on our blog before, for instance, when discussing AI translation tools. Since then, we’ve witnessed the remarkable development of generic AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, etc. I’m not a pessimist when it comes to AI tools, and I use them at times, though mainly for research and not for writing. I’ve found that the output is quite bland and unexciting. When reading an article, I can generally tell if it was written by a human being or not. AI texts tend to follow a pattern:
Introduction
First point
Additionally… second point
And another thing… third point
However… contradictory point warning to be cautious
Conclusion
They often feel like they were written by a student who has just been taught how to write an essay. You might be able to improve the text by providing a more detailed prompt, but for me, writing is a process of discovery, not just a result. Often, it is in the process of writing that one is taken in a completely new direction, as research reveals a new avenue to explore, or a different take on a topic.
There is a wonderful German word, Einheitsbrei, which literally means generic porridge. It’s used to convey a sense of monotony, when something doesn’t stand out, it’s all the same.
Generic porridge is a pretty good description of the output of many generative AI tools, in my opinion. A grammatically correct text, which may or may not contain accurate information, but is tedious and uninspiring to read.
Can generic porridge reach people, grab their attention, and make them act? Is there any point in posting an article, a social media post, or producing a brochure if it makes the reader feel nothing at all?
Will AI content mean the end of emotional, nuanced storytelling?
When we create content, our goal isn’t just to put words on a page. It’s to provide information and insight that prompts the reader to do something—whether that is to take action or to simply sit and consider what they’ve read, and form an opinion. One of the most effective ways of prompting a reader to take action is to engage their emotions, as we discussed in our blog post about the AIDA marketing concept.
Emotions are core to the essence of being human, and yet, as we use more AI tools, we are almost training ourselves out of emotions, as this article argues.
“Interactions with machines can also change our expectations of human relationships. As we become accustomed to quick, seamless, conflict-free interactions, we may become more frustrated in our relationships with real people.”
Will people become so accustomed to AI generic porridge that they will turn away from more complex, nuanced, and even poetic storytelling? I don’t think so.
I still believe in the power of an emotional narrative, but we must also keep up with changing media consumption habits. Alongside long-form narrative, storytelling communication now includes shorter, bite-sized video and audio content, that meets our shorter attention spans (and the online habits of our GenZ colleagues). In a more skeptical society, we need more data-based stories that back up our claims with hard facts. Human-led narratives, such as campaigns using employees as peer-to-peer influencers, are increasingly being used in internal and external employee communications, and come across as authentic and trustworthy.
By the way, this is also where the globalization of the English language can help, as companies can take advantage of the shorthand of influencer language to create amusing and compelling content. You only have to look at the GenZ wrote my script meme to see how this can work.
Conclusion – from boring porridge to Bircher Müsli
Perhaps I was drawn to the analogy as I’m Scottish, but I’ve never actually been a fan of porridge. It wasn’t until I first tried Bircher Müsli on a trip to Switzerland that I started eating oats. And that’s how I see the future of language and AI.
While AI-generated content is quick and easy to create, it lacks the depth and nuance of language that makes emotional storytelling powerful. Just as we add delicious ingredients to our oats to make Bircher Müsli, we can add richness and complexity with emotional language. The future of communication isn’t choosing between AI and human creativity, but finding the right balance to ensure we connect and engage people.
Since 2022, Lynn Nothegger is a substantial part of our Unequity team of experts.
As a native English speaker, with years of experience in sales and marketing for international companies, she helps us shape our customers’ messages, creating clear and compelling copy, even when the topic is highly complex.
This article is one of our new series “food for thought” written by our team members and partners, covering a variety of topics and viewpoints.
- This article was published on
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